Go With Ralof in Helgen But Side With Imperials?

[heythereadventurer]

Hey, just a quick question.

What happens if you side with Ralof in Helgen (i.e., you escape the keep with him and accompany him to Riverwood) but side with the Imperials later on (i.e., you win the Civil War questline for them)?

I know that it's possible, because whenever I'm on a character that takes no side I always have quests to join both.

Will Hadvar appear? Because he's really the only named soldier in the Imperial questline. I guess I'm confused, I feel like it's implied that the guy you don't side with doesn't make it out of the keep. Maybe I just pulled that out of nowhere.

Or other way could work too - side with Hadvar and Stormcloaks.

Might be a dumb question but I'm curious :P

[LeddBate]

You can change sides, even in the Civil War questine, up until the Jagged Crown quest. At that point, you have the choice to take the crown to either Tullius OR Ulfric -no matter which side you've been supporting up till then. Once you deliver the crown to one of them, you've "burned your bridges" with the other side and cannot rejoin them.

 

So, for example, you could leave with Ralof, interact with him and his family in Riverwood and even interact with Hadvar's family (but not with Hadvar.) Then you could join the Empire. You'll see Hadvar (especially during the Jagged Crown quest) but because you didn't leave with him at Helgen, he'll act more neutral and aloof. I don't believe you'll meet Ralof during the Jagged Crown quest while you're sided with the Imperials. I don't remember him being there when I did this, but I could be wrong. Anyway, once you've got the crown, you could then (if you wish) switch sides one more time, taking the crown to Ulfric instead of Tullius. I believe you could name-drop Ralof while talking to Ulfric right after giving him the crown, but I don't believe Ralof himself will be there.

 

I've always left with Ralof, then joined the Imperials later. But I've never tried turn-coating during the Jagged Crown quest, so I'm not absolutely sure about that.

[DoctorKaizeld]

I believe you kill Ralof if you dont go with him... At least i always did same in the reverse. The one i didnt follow was always part of the group you fight when you enter the interior part of the fort... Or at least it was for me. I never saw either of them again unless i followed them and i have gotten to just before aquiring the crown for both.

[heythereadventurer]

You can change sides, even in the Civil War questine, up until the Jagged Crown quest. At that point, you have the choice to take the crown to either Tullius OR Ulfric -no matter which side you've been supporting up till then. Once you deliver the crown to one of them, you've "burned your bridges" with the other side and cannot rejoin them.

 

So, for example, you could leave with Ralof, interact with him and his family in Riverwood and even interact with Hadvar's family (but not with Hadvar.) Then you could join the Empire. You'll see Hadvar (especially during the Jagged Crown quest) but because you didn't leave with him at Helgen, he'll act more neutral and aloof. I don't believe you'll meet Ralof during the Jagged Crown quest while you're sided with the Imperials. I don't remember him being there when I did this, but I could be wrong. Anyway, once you've got the crown, you could then (if you wish) switch sides one more time, taking the crown to Ulfric instead of Tullius. I believe you could name-drop Ralof while talking to Ulfric right after giving him the crown, but I don't believe Ralof himself will be there.

 

I've always left with Ralof, then joined the Imperials later. But I've never tried turn-coating during the Jagged Crown quest, so I'm not absolutely sure about that.

Thank you! :D

[LeddBate]

I believe you kill Ralof if you dont go with him... At least i always did same in the reverse. The one i didnt follow was always part of the group you fight when you enter the interior part of the fort... Or at least it was for me. I never saw either of them again unless i followed them and i have gotten to just before aquiring the crown for both.

 

Really? I honestly never noticed that. I DO know that if you go with Ralof, you get the chance to kill that b**** Captain that tells Hadvar to "Forget the list, he goes to the block." Very, very satisfying I will (somewhat embarrassingly) admit.

 

@heythereadventurer: You're welcome!

[Rethrain]

Hmm....I don't believe I ever had the chance to kill Ralof or Hadvar, depending on my choices. As far as I know, they pretty much disappear depending on who you side with in the tutorial and the other is never seen until the whole thing is done. You can fight along side them of course - again, depending on your decisions - with Ralof or Hadvar. Though I haven't checked both of them after the Civil war is done.

[DoctorKaizeld]

I checked and i did kill Ralof but i never killed Hadvar at the begining. That was a pain to do as the intro is glitchy as hell.

[Rethrain]

*Shrugs*

 

Mileage varies, I suppose...

[DoctorKaizeld]

Agreed

[thumbincubation]

Worth noting, if you side with Hadvar, Alvor will change some of his blacksmith items from "steal" to "take," including the pile of ingots beneath the workbench. Gerdur, IIRC, will give you her house key if you side with Raloff. I generally side with Hadvar just for that reason, no matter which side I plan to join.